Amazingly, a show I don't remember being mentioned on the board at all:
Britain's Electrelane: Not Much to Sing About
Friday, April 2, 2004; Page C03 (W. Post)
For a while early in its career, the Brighton, England, quartet Electrelane flirted with being an all-instrumental band. At the Black Cat Wednesday night the musicians kept dour faces trained down at their instruments, as if the idea of stepping up to the mike were mortifying.
And by the time they completed their 12-song set, it was clear that vocals and melodies weren't their strong suit.
Most of their numbers crackled with kinetic, post-punk instrumental drive, but were tempered repeatedly by pedestrian singing.
With a sound hammered together from the influences of arty noise-crafters like Mogwai, Stereolab and Th' Faith Healers, Electrelane got its chugging drive when keyboardist-singer Verity Susman and guitarist Mia Clarke fused with the snapping new-wave beat supplied by drummer Emma Gaze.
When it worked -- as on the burbling "I Want to Be the President" and "On Parade" -- the sound hit hard, a fine update of the best parts of British independent labels, circa 1978. But when it didn't, as on the plodding "Birds" and a limp cover of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire," Electrelane's sound was faceless. And overall, the latter outweighed the former on Wednesday night.
A more forceful personality emerged from the opening act, the Glasgow quartet Sons and Daughters, who hitched rumbling punk guitar and drum patterns to country-folk accents during a short but spirited set.
-- Patrick Foster
